Cisco Falls 0.28% on $1.26 Billion Volume Ranked 59th as Analysts Split Over AI-Driven Growth

On August 19, 2025, Cisco Systems (CSCO) closed with a 0.28% decline, trading on a volume of $1.26 billion, ranking 59th in market activity. Analyst activity and corporate developments continue to shape investor sentiment toward the networking giant as it navigates evolving AI infrastructure demand.

Recent analyst actions highlighted mixed expectations for CSCO’s trajectory. Piper Sandler lowered its price target to $64 from $70, citing below-bullish FY26 guidance and muted second-half growth projections. However, the firm emphasized that Cisco’s AI-related revenue streams, including $1B in FY2H25 orders and expanding enterprise cloud adoption, remain intact. Meanwhile, Evercore ISI and BofA Securities raised their price targets to $74 and $85, respectively, citing infrastructure tailwinds from AI and datacenter modernization. KeyBanc reiterated an Overweight rating at $77, noting strong Networking segment performance despite weaker Security division results.

Corporate actions also drew attention. Maria Victoria Wong, SVP and Chief Accounting Officer, sold $32,589 worth of shares under a pre-arranged trading plan, reducing her holdings to 34,630.17 shares. This insider activity, combined with a 26.45 P/E ratio and moderate debt levels, underscores ongoing scrutiny of the stock’s valuation. Recent fiscal Q4 results, which exceeded expectations with $14.7 billion in revenue and $0.99 EPS, provided some near-term optimism but failed to fully address long-term growth concerns.

The strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding for one day from 2022 to present yielded a 12.17% compound annual growth rate. This suggests that high-volume trading activity may serve as a reliable indicator of short-term profitability in the tested period.